From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: The adda (relaxed, informal chit chat, generally between friends) a clutch of like-minded filmmakers and technicians had here a few years into the new millennium, were the ‘brain’ behind a short film festival which turned 15 this year.
Already, the ADDA Short Film Festival, and fittingly christened thus, has travelled long, playing the platform for the likes of national award winning filmmakers such as Rima Das of Village Rockstars fame, and company.
“Back in 2004, we were then a group of struggling filmmakers and technicians. Those were the days when digital media had just made its debut. It so happened during the course of our addas that we harped upon forming an organisation and hosting a short film festival which would serve as a platform for us. After acquiring permission from the administration, we staged the first such festival in open air, near the rail gate on Rajgarh Road,” Amardeep Gogoi, president ADDA, told The Shillong Times on Wednesday.
The 15th ADDA Short Film Festival will get under way at Jyoti Chitraban Film (Studio) Society from December 29 with screening of Chiaroscuro, produced and directed by Parthajit Baruah of Nagaon.
The films screened at the festival are as short as between two and 15 minutes while the documentaries have duration of about 30 minutes.
“This time we have five invitees with two special screenings, Mukti, directed by Mihirjyoti Baruah, and Xopunar Xetu, directed by Ankurjyoti Deka. Further, works of those who went on to become achievers from the platform will be screened at the fest,” Gogoi said.
There are eight in this achievers category (ADDA’s Wizkid), comprising Rima Das, Suraj Duwarah, Jhulan Krishna Mahanta, Kangkan Deka, Deep Choudhary, Jaicheng Jai Dohutia, Dorendra Waribam and Gautam Baruah. “We will screen a 10-minute documentary, Protha, made by Rima Das in 2009, at the festival,” he said.
Sixteen films from the 60 have been selected for screening by a three-member jury under four categories – best fiction, best documentary, best film in animation and best jury mention.
“Apart from the Northeastern region, there were contributory films from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra and even Bangladesh, which however could not make the cut,” Gogoi said.
